Considerable public concern has built up in recent years with respect to fears of criminal contamination with toxic substances of bottled edible foodstuff, by terrorists, psychopaths or other disturbed individuals. Among the preferred targets of these criminals are pharmaceutical capsules in bottles. Tragic cases of widespread intoxication from such criminal contamination of substances to be ingested, are regularly reported in the news media.
Safety caps exist to restrict access to the content of a bottle to authorized persons. Usually, these safety caps are directed to prevent totes and small children, or alternately, to try to discourage unstable individuals with suicidal tendencies, from easily reaching medication which may be toxic or even lethal at high, non-monitored dosage. To be able to open these safety caps, a special protocol has to be followed, beyond the basic technique of axial pulling of the cap or spreading apart of the annular wall portion thereof to release the cap from the container mouth, that a small child will quickly learn to do.
Other safety caps exist which are directed toward providing clues that the cap has been opened a first time. However, these latter caps usually become inefficient in sealing closing the container mouth, after the tamper-evidencing means were disengaged. Indeed, deactivation of such tamper-evidencing means after first opening of the safety cap usually comprises the snap fit or frictional locking means involved in otherwise securing performance of the cap to the container mouth.